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Projecting Shaedon Sharpe’s future. And the top Kentucky basketball recruiting links.

For months, the expectation has been that Shaedon Sharpe will leave Kentucky for this year’s NBA Draft without ever playing a game of college basketball. The new 2022 mock drafts — updated after Tuesday night’s lottery — cement Sharpe’s status as a top pick.

Following reports that Sharpe had a “terrific” Pro Day showing in front of NBA scouts Monday, the new draft projections show a player with tremendous potential to go very high this year. ESPN has Sharpe going No. 6 overall to the Indiana Pacers, while SB Nation’s mock draft has him in the same spot, as does CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish.

The Athletic projects Sharpe at No. 5 to the Detroit Pistons, with a mock draft from CBS Sports’ Kyle Boone putting him in the same position, and mock drafts from the Sporting News and the New York Post also placing Sharpe at No. 5. Meanwhile, Sports Illustrated’s post-lottery mock draft has Sharpe going No. 4 overall to the Sacramento Kings, and a separate write-up from the New York Post mentions Sharpe as a possibility for the No. 1 overall spot.

Sharpe has until June 1 to make a final decision on his basketball future.

Top Kentucky basketball recruiting links

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SEC news: LSU gets a late commitment from 7-footer in ‘22 class

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